Ewald Frank and the German Expansion of William Branham’s Message

Ewald Frank was born near Gdansk, Poland, in 1933 and migrated to West Germany after World War II. He later became a leader within William Branham's "Message" movement following Branham's European tour and, with a small circle of recruits in Karlsruhe, Germany, helped form a distinct German sub-sect. Over time, Frank became the central figure of that group, which came to be known as the Free People's Mission Krefeld. In 1964, the Free People's Mission Krefeld was reportedly recognized as a non-profit organization with roughly 250 members, and later reports claim the group grew to more than three thousand members.

In the 1970s, Frank was accused of having an extramarital affair with a member of his congregation. Shortly afterward, he divorced his wife and later published a book titled Marriage and Divorce, which critics allege was written to justify the affair.[1]

After the "Message" sect associated with Colonia Dignidad was exposed for physical and sexual abuse of children and for ties to political figures, Frank was alleged to have recruited former members of that community into the Free People's Mission.[2] Reports state that Chile subsequently banned Frank from entering the country,[3] and that authorities examined whether his group was harboring fugitives wanted by the Chilean government.[4]

According to Frank, he converted to Pentecostalism in 1949 during the height of the Latter Rain movement, and during a Pentecostal conference that year he learned of William Branham.[5] Sometime after that conference, Branham is said to have established an office in Germany,[6] and to have appointed the German baron Frary von Blomberg to participate in his campaign team.[7] During the early 1950s, Branham frequently mentioned upcoming plans[8] for a major revival effort and incorporated into his stage persona a vision involving a "black woman" and a "white man" from Germany.[9]

In 1954, von Blomberg organized a series of revivals in multiple countries,[10] including Germany,[11] and Branham went on tour.[12] Although Branham already had offices in Germany, he claimed that the United States military had blocked his entry into the country. Branham further alleged that Dr. Adolf Guggenbuhl intervened with the United States Army and enabled him to enter Germany.

Branham, William. 1955, October 3. Faith In Action (55-1003). "Doctor Guggenbuhl, a very smart lawyer (That's one of our sponsors there.), he didn't take 'no' for an answer. He went right on down to the Major in the United States Army; he said, 'Tell Brother Branham to come on. If the rest of them can come, he can too.' So it give me a chance to come into Germany."

In 1955, Branham returned and held meetings in Karlsruhe, Germany.[13] Frank, described by supporters as an early "Message" leader in Germany, helped organize the campaign and assisted Branham during the meetings.[14] Over time, Frank became one of the most recognized German leaders in Branham's movement and began to mirror several claims associated with Branham's stage persona. In 1961, Frank founded his "Freie Volksmission" church community in Oppum,[15] and in 1962 he began claiming that "a voice" spoke to him through his window,[16] a claim often compared to Branham's accounts of hearing supernatural voices.[17] Frank reportedly said this experience led him to travel to the United States to visit Branham in Jeffersonville, Indiana.[18]

During the same period, converts associated with Frank's group were reportedly migrating to Chile. In 1961,[19] several German "Message" converts moved into Colonia Dignidad. This commune later drew international scrutiny and reportedly brought Frank under the attention of authorities, as well as other leaders connected to Branham's wider movement,[20] after eyewitnesses claimed that international fugitives were present on Frank's property[21] and that Frank made multiple visits to Colonia Dignidad before its crimes were publicly exposed. According to the book Secrets of the SS, published in 1988 shortly before Sarah Branham's letter "Take It With You," Colonia Dignidad was established by "Message" leader Paul Shaeffer, described there as an ex-German Luftwaffe officer, allegedly to move unreconstructed Nazis from Germany to Chile under a religious cover.[22] According to reports attributed to the CIA and to Simon Wiesenthal, evidence exists that Dr. Josef Mengele, often called Hitler's "Angel of Death," spent time at the compound.[23] When the compound was under investigation in 2005, authorities reported discovering a large underground arsenal that included "dozens of surface-to-air missiles, rocket launchers, machine guns, submachine guns, hand and cluster grenades, rifles, anti-personnel mines, automatic pistols, and a large amount of ammunition."[24] Reports also claimed that investigators found two bullets of the same caliber used in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and a paper bearing his name.[25]

In later years, Frank was reported to have been deeply involved with the community. According to witness accounts, Frank baptized more than 170 settlers at Colonia Dignidad in 2003 alone.[26]

Ewald Frank is named in the Intent to Sue documentation prepared by Gerald Lee Walker and Sarah Branham.

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